Crossing a Level

Blowing Rocks Marina
Tequesta, FL
May 26, 2026

 I was shocked when I logged my almost 18-mile ride yesterday. I have ridden just over 7,000 miles on my bike. And in terms of miles ridden in a month, the over 175 miles ridden this month are my most in a month since July last year. I guess I have been slacking off a bit in terms of getting out on the streets.  

Chris at Tiki52
Tequesta, FL
May 26, 2026

I enjoyed riding yesterday, even though the winds were strong in my face for parts of the ride. The southeasterly wind gusted to about 30 MPH at times and that really added stress to a ride. But, I am getting into good shape.

For the evening, we headed off to $2 Tuesday at Tiki52 collocated with the Blowing Rocks Marina. With the temperature sitting at a pleasant 87 degrees and a nice breeze coming off the water, we enjoyed sitting under the Tiki for Happy Hour and dinner. We enjoy Tiki52 for its relaxed dining, good prices, and dog friendly atmosphere. Finn accompanied us last evening, as he often does. He really enjoys the Happy Hour wings!

It was an enjoyable day after the holiday weekend.

And now, on to Hump Day with a travel day looming on Friday. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Quiet Memorial Day

Red-bellied Woodpecker
High on a Palm Tree Shoot
Tequesta, FL
May 23, 2026

The weather here in South Florida was nearly perfect for a Memorial Day celebration. Chris, Finn, and I celebrated alone and together.

Marley Keeping a Watchful Eye on Us
Tequesta, FL
May 25 ,2026

We began the day by heading over at our friends' house looking after their cats. We were not there long as it was a litter box day. Their automatic Whisker robot litter box needed a bag change. While the litter box is fully automatic, it requires human assistance to change the bag which holds the used litter. While changing the bad is an easy process, it still smells like, well, cat poop!

We headed back to the house to enjoy lunch and relax a bit. 

The highlight of the day, believe it or not, was watching the last five innings of the Orioles game. I finally activated my MLB app so that I could watch the games. The Orioles have been so disappointing thus far this season that I have avoided becoming too attached to the team. But after yesterday's gutsy and thrilling win over the league leading Rays, it is hard not to get excited. Of course a walk-off two-run home run will help with the excitement, but considering that the score was tied 2-2 at the end of 9 innings and the final score after 13 innings was 7-5, it was a hugely exciting extra inning slugfest game. And it was the O's first win against the Rays in 4 games this season.

And that was Memorial Day 2026. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Yard Work Saturday

Freshly Mowed
Tequesta, FL
May 23, 2026

 I know, I live in a condo. How on earth could I have yard work to accomplish?

But we did! Chris and I spent the morning raking, mowing, and laying much--in two different yards. 

Chris Finishing the Mulch
Tequesta, FL
May 23, 2026

We began the morning at the home of friends who are on a cruise in Europe. We raked leaves, magnolia trees lose leaves all the time, and mowed the lawns. It was the second time we mowed since they departed. I admit, I miss mowing just a little bit. I love riding a tractor around a lawn.

After finishing with the friend's yard, we headed back to our home and mulched the path in the back of the condo. We keep the path mulched as it helps keep mud out of the house. It also looks nice and Chris needs an outlet for her gardening spirit. The plants in our yard are still recovering from the hard freeze we experienced during February--but are greening up nicely. 

We were engrossed in our outdoor activities all morning, relishing the pleasant weather. However, we had to be exceptionally efficient at our friend’s house because a significant storm, complete with thunder and lightning, was approaching. As I was finishing up in the yard, I savored the refreshing pre-storm breeze. We promptly left to return home to Finnegan, who is terrified of thunder. Surprisingly, the storm never reached our home. Despite our home being only two miles away from our friends’, the weather can be quite different due to our proximity to the ocean. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

A Day on the Water

 

Heading out of Manatee Pocket
Port Salerno, FL
May 22, 2026

Chris, Finn, and I headed out of Port Salerno yesterday to enjoy a day on the waters of the ICW and St. Lucie River. It had been since March that we had risked life and limb on the water. Much of that has been due to travel schedules and weather. I have canceled at least two boat days because of poor weather conditions.

Path form the ICW Beach to the Ocean
Peck Lake, FL
May 22, 2026

The plan was to head off to our favorite, accessible only by boat, beach and then into Stuart, FL, for lunch. We called an audible, however, upon approaching the beach. The boat did not have a ladder in the bow and that meant, for a beach landing, we would have to go down the stern ladder into the water and walk around the boat to the beach. Neither of us felt like getting wet just to walk to the beach and so, even though we were a few yards from beaching, we decided just to head to Stuart where we can dock and stay dry.

View from the ICW headed for Stuart
Hobe Sound, FL
May 22, 2026

The wind began to increase as we headed for Stuart and the St Lucie River became choppy. I have been reading about how to better trim the engines to help the boat move through choppy waters more smoothly and I was able to implement what I had read. I was very happy with the result. And so was Chris and Finn. Finn parks himself right under my feet if the water becomes too choppy.

We arrived in Stuart without issues, although upon arrival at the Stuart Courtesy Docks we were greeted by a large sign stating the docks were closed. Being inquisitive, we motored closer to be able to read the small print and discovered that the docks will be closed form July 2026-April 2027 for reconstruction. It is going to be a massive project, apparently. As the docks were still open, we were able to tie-up and enjoy wandering around Stuart and enjoying lunch at our favorite cafe, the Osceola Street Cafe on SW Osceola Street in downtown Stuart.

By the time we finished in Stuart, the winds had become strong at 15 MPH or better. That meant the St Lucie River was rough with a moderate chop. The trip back to Pirates Cove Marina was not too bad, despite the conditions. Although we ended our day earlier than planned, we had a good time on the water and wandering around Stuart. It is going to be tough to find a new place to visit while the docks are being reconstructed, but Jensen Beach may be a good spot. I will have to check it out. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Throwback Saturday

 

Fish in the Lake from the Tractor
Tequesta, FL
May 16, 2026

Yesterday, Chris and I enjoyed a bit of a throwback Saturday. 

Why throwback? 

Well, I went to a friend's house and mowed his lawn. Living, as we do, in a condo I do not mow lawns and it was something that helped define summertime life in Maryland. If the lawn needed mowing, Saturday was the day. Too often, after work during the week I was too tired or distracted by some other chore to get the lawn done and so Saturdays became lawn day. 

I enjoyed tooling around the yard on my tractor. That was a wholesome memory. I remember that until we moved to our house in Elkridge, I owned only a push mower and it was not self-propelled. After mowing the lawn at the house the first time, and it took 5 hours, we realized that a tractor was necessary. Over the course of our over 20 years there, I owned two tractors. 

The Ice Cream Store
Tequesta, FL
May 16, 2026

I was able to tool around my friend's yard on his electric tractor, yesterday. The very one that I wrote about needing the battery replacement a few weeks ago. He got it done and the tractor works fine. They live on a small lake and as I was mowing near the water's edge, I saw a fish swimming by the shore. I also used his self-propelled lawnmower to do some of the trim. A nearly perfect Saturday.

The Lawn
Tequesta, FL
May 16, 2026

During the afternoon, Chris and I enjoyed another throwback activity, we went to the local ice cream vendor. Palm Beach Ice Cream makes the best ice cream in the area and we spend a lot of time talking ourselves out of going there, but gave into our desires yesterday. I remembered that after the chores were done, we used to head off to Cindy's in Elkridge for ice cream. Unlike Cindy's however, Palm Beach Ice Cream is open year round.

Lawn mowing, ice cream, and the smell of fresh cut grass. It was a throwback Saturday.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

The Fleecing Continues

 

North Fork Loxahatchee River
Tequesta, FL
May 15, 2026

TGIF was yesterday.

And the weekend began with the passing of the day. 

I began yesterday with a nice 18-mile ride around Tequesta. The Loxahatchee was flat as I rode over the Tequesta Bridge. It was a beautiful and hot day. 

Chris and I ended the day at dinner with friends in Port St Lucie. All-in-all it was a great Friday. 

Reflecting on recent world events including the summit in China I, sadly, believe we are seeing the end of America's stabilizing influence on the world. Democracies are under fire, including ours, and the only bright spot I see is what happened recently in Hungary where the people took control of their destiny after 16 years of extreme right-wing oppression. 

Try as we might, it is hard to escape the cold reality that the current administration is more concerned about increasing their personal wealth than ensuring the well-being of Americans. To consider that the President has increased his personal wealth by $5.1B during the past year is unfathomable. Even worse, is the $10B lawsuit he filed against the government which is going to be adjudicate by his former personal attorney who is not the Acting Attorney General and could substantially increase his net worth at the expense of Americans. 

We continue to get fleeced by Trump, his billionaire cronies, and drained by fighting an unauthorized and unwanted war with Iran and we can't fun health care and food assistance programs, why?

The Republicans scream fraud, but cannot apparently comprehend that the most egregious fraud is happening within the walls of the White House. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

The Hardest Shopping Experience

 

The Snack Food Aisle
Publix, Tequesta, FL
May 14, 2026

Shopping for food is a difficult experience. The stores appear intent on making the experience as complex and bewildering as possible.

How can shopping for food be complex? Well the are the 2 for's, BOGOs, buy 3 and get 1, buy 2 and get 1, 3 for, 4 for and even 5 for. And it is deceptive. I got trapped the other day buying bread. The kind that Chris likes appeared to be on a BOGO, until I got to the register. The specific bread she likes, while the correct size and in the family which had the BOGO was not the specific variety that was offered on the BOGO.  Ugh! I need to have a law degree to shop.

And even items not on special can be deceptively priced. The cereal I prefer is a recent case in point. Yesterday, I had a choice between the standard or the family size box. I initially grabbed the family size thinking it would be the better value. Not so fast! When I compared price per ounce, the family size was more expensive per ounce. And not just a little bit. Who does that?

I thought that was all bad enough until I realized that the snack food aisle is one long continuous landmine of price, size, and multiple offerings. And in our Publix it is the longest single section of the store other than the soft drink section. 

Nothing in the snack food aisle is standard. The package sizes vary across producers and even within products. Stretching it out into a single long aisle makes cost comparison shopping is nearly impossible. And the multiple varieties of potato chips make the head spin. Chris and I spent nearly 10 minutes selecting potato chips. Really? Like the world is going to end if we don't buy the best value potato chips. 

At least the pickles I use on my sandwich were on a BOGO! That seemed far easier than selecting potato chips. 

It is a jungle out there!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Titanic: An Immersive Voyage

From the Deck of the Titanic
Boynton Beach, FL
May 13, 2026

 Yesterday's highlight was attending the Titanic: An Immersive Voyage in Boynton Beach, Florida. The location was a short 45 minute drive away and well worth the wait. I had hoped to have attended the experience during March, but it was sold out. I secured the yesterday's tickets well over a month ago. 

The Narrative

The timed entry was strictly enforced and we were ushered into the displays right on time. A nicely formatted 24-part audio narrative was provided on our phones with air pods connected. The instructions provided with the tickets advised people to bring headphones or AirPods to be able to access the additional historical information.

The voyage began by standing on a reproduction of the bow of the Titanic for a picture and then examining a number of static displays accompanied by a wealth of information about the ship. There were also images of the interior of the ship, but much of the information presented was from or based upon the movie. 

Scene from the 360 degree movie
Titanic: An Immersive Voyage

There are three unique highlights of the voyage. First was a 3D tour beginning undersea exploring the actual wreck and then progressing through the recreated interior of the ship through to the sinking. It was a mini Titanic movie. 

The 3D experience was unique but I felt it had a couple of flaws. The scaling for some of the video was too much larger than life and detracted from the story and in places the video moved too fast through the ship and was disorienting. Do not misunderstand, I enjoyed the 3D experience and wearing the special goggles, but I also noted that there were definite places where the program interpolated the scene causing some small disconnects. I give them an A+ for effort but only a B for execution. They could have ended the session better by transitioning back to real footage of the wreck and then resurfacing to complete experience that was started.

First-Class Dining Room
Titanic: An Immersive Experience

The second highlight was the 360-degree movie experience sitting in a comfortable room with an actual-size modified lifeboat. This was a true 360-degree experience and added a lot to the overall experience of the day. I learned a lot of factual knowledge from the movie, for instance the reports of icebergs from other vessels in the area were never forwarded to the captain for action form the radio operator. I also learned about the poor quality rivets that were used.

The third highlight  the experience provided was the name and information about a real passenger. Our task was to check their status of that person on the Memorial Wall which was the final exhibit in the show. That was a sobering experience. 

From the 360 Degree Movie

My assigned passenger was 18-year old First Class traveler, Daniel Warner Marvin. Checking the wall for his name, I searched the rescued area first and found an 18-year old woman with the same last name. I then found him among those who were lost. I surmised that they were married. But there was no information available at the exhibit to confirm that hypothesis. The hook is to go online afterwards to find out more about the passenger. And I did! They were newlyweds ending a three-month honeymoon. He is reported to have told his wife as he loaded her into a lifeboat: "It’s alright, little girl. You go. I will stay." His body, if recovered, was not identified. His wife was pregnant at the time and later gave birth to a girl.

My final observations about the experience concerned the physical space. The static displays were too close to each other, the gift shop was too large for the amount of items they offered and the Memorial Wall did not have nearly enough space. Adding a small research center for those wanting to explore more about their passenger or even about other aspects of the disaster would be a nice touch. 

So, my recommendation--this exhibit at $45 is a bit pricey given the total time to visit is about 1h20m. but, the senior discount made it worth the visit. Overall, I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Let me say that Chris loved the entire experience!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Thursday Happy Hour on the Beach

Carlin Park Beach
Jupiter, FL
May 7, 2026

 After the heat of the day; the temperature soared to 90, we had a great idea to enjoy Happy Hour on the beach. The day was clear and the breeze coming off the ocean was strong but cooling. The stated water temperature of the ocean is already 77 degrees. It was, then, a perfect afternoon for enjoying the beach. Yes, as can be seen in the image, there was sargassum on the beach, but not enough to matter. 

Osprey Hunting
Carlin Park, Jupiter, FL
May 7, 2026

We arrived to the nearly deserted beach about 4:30 pm. The lifeguards were still on duty and I was pleased to see the green flag flying--meaning that the rip current warnings had ended. There were not many boats on the water, even though the ocean was relatively calm. That surprised me, but being low tide, I know there have been issues getting in and out of the Jupiter Inlet due to the shifting sandbars and shoals. Probably best not to transit during low tide.

Looking at our Umbrellas
Carlin Park, Jupiter, FL
May 7, 2026

While enjoying Happy Hour, we were treated to an osprey hunting for dinner. The majestic bird made a few dives into the waves, but came up empty. We also spied a manatee a bit offshore. It seemed to be transiting the area, heading north probably to enter the Jupiter Inlet and then into the ICW.

With the water being so warm, I actually walked out into the surf for a bit. I don't normally go into the water, but being as calm as it was, I enjoyed being offshore, well until a rouge wave came over me and got salt water into my wine glass. After that happened, I dumped the rest of my wine into the ocean and headed to shore for a refill. Salt water diluted wine tastes awful! Yes, I tasted it.

It was a great ending to Friday-eve: beach, sand, sun, waves, and friends.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Sliding through the Week

Celebratory Margarita
Tequesta, FL
May 5, 2026

Happy Hump Day

 We enjoyed a subdued Cinco de Mayo celebration. Chris and I wound up at home with a pitcher of margaritas and festive music provided by Alexa. We walked over to the Mexican Restaurant last evening, but it was overflowing with people waiting for a table and we walked back home and settled for a Southwestern-style pasta recipe, oh yea, and the margaritas. And just to clarify, knowing it was only the two of us, I only made a half-pitcher of margaritas. 

Out on the Street
Tequesta, FL
May 5, 2026

I managed a nearly 18 mile bike ride yesterday. It was good to be on the street. The morning was beautiful, although I was riding just after a passing rain shower. Although the day heated up, it remained cool and nice for most of my ride. 

In the I should have known it would happen that way department:

Now that I gained access to over-the-air television channels, Comcast and Scripps settled their contract dispute yesterday. The strange news is that Comcast sent me an email advising me that because of the loss of channel access during the dispute, I am getting a credit on my next cable bill! Yay! It's not much, but it is the thought that counts. And it happened without being asked!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Travel Thursday Reflections

Flight Route WN2328
April 30, 2026

 Chris and I were up early this morning, 5:15 AM, to catch a 6:15 AM Uber to the airport for our 8:20 AM flight to West Palm Beach and home. Like most nights before a trip, we did not sleep very well even though we had enjoyed a marvelous evening with Patrick, Jen and Beck. 

The Uber was on time, which was very nice. It was about 50 degrees when we got into the car for the ride to the airport. 

BWI was a mess, well, I should say Southwest at BWI was a mess. It took us over 30 minutes to get our bags checked and processed. Lots of people were flying. The counter was understaffed. Proceeding to the concourse, the TSA-pre line was longer than the non-TSA-pre line, but moved fairly quickly due to some apparently newly deployed equipment that processes people faster. 

Although we enjoyed an on-time take-off, the Southwest boarding process has become very slow because there is not enough overhead space now that the airline charges for bags and more people are trying to carry their bags onto the plane. It really slows both boarding and deplaning.  

Storm off the Carolina Coast
April 30, 2026

It was not until late in the flight, as the low clouds broke and I noticed we were flying over Lake Okeechobee that I began to understand why we we going to be late landing--the course was radically different. The normal route is nearly due south, coasting out over South Carolina and flying direct to PBI over the ocean until just before landing. Today, however, we flew almost to Tampa before crossing to the east coast of Florida.

Self, I asked, why would we do that? The flight had some mild chop at times, but was not a severely bumpy ride. So, I checked a weather map and saw a huge very mean-looking storm right over the usual flight track. Aha! That's why we are going to be late landing. It was interesting that although we were coming in from the west, we flew to the south of PBI, I saw the field out the window, and out over the ocean to land heading west--which added more than a few minutes. The new approach from the east actually flys to the north of PBI to avoid Mar-a-Lago necessitating a slight roll out during final approach to the field. I am sure the people living under the new flight route are not happy!

I noted that as Chris and I departed the jet, we were in row 11, that the time was already about 11:25 AM and the jet was supposed to take off for a return trip to Baltimore at 11:40 AM. That was not going to happen. I looked it up, they did not take-off until 1:22 PM--an almost 2 hour delay. I am very happy we took the first flight of the day. It is going to be a long day of flying for a lot of people.

But, we are home, warm, and happy!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Senior Night at the Ballfield

Homemade Fathead of Jax Held by Nicole
Odenton, MD
April 24, 2026

 It was Senior Night for the Arundel High School Baseball Team last evening. The festivities were conducted before the game against archrival Crofton. 

Senior night was the primary reason Chris and I made the trip north after being here for Easter at the beginning of the month. We do not like to miss important moments in the lives of our family members even though we live in Florida. It was a promise we made to them when we moved south. 

Tuxedo Cats Watching
Odenton, MD
April 24, 2026

During the days leading up to the festivities last night, we participated in planning and execution some ideas for the evening. One idea was a homemade Fathead--which came out really well. There were also flowers for the moms of the 12 seniors on the team.

All of his Maryland relatives, and us as well, showed-up to honor Jax at the pre-game festivities. It was good to see the show of support for Jax, who announced last week that he would be attending the University of South Florida in their engineering program this Fall. So he is going to be a USF Bull!

The Family in Attendance
Odenton, MD
April 24, 2026

Sadly, the baseball game was not as exciting as the pre-game Senior Night festivities. Jax was ineligible to pitch, having hurled 96 pitches during Wednesday night's six-inning outing for a win, but he still was very involved in the game in the dugout. As the game dragged on; rain began and then some lightening which caused a mandatory 30-minute timeout. Chris and I departed during the top of the 5th inning as the rain began, but before the lightening, and were not present at the field for the unsatisfying ending. We monitored the game on GameChanger. 

I guess last evening was our own version of Friday Night Lights! (and rain!)

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Walking under the Canopy

Under the Canopy
Odenton, MD
April 23, 2026

 One of the things Chris and I enjoy while visiting Maryland is walking under the canopy of leaves along the old Strawberry Lake Way. I have documented the changes as the trees hanging over this stretch of old repurposed highway reflect the passing of the seasons. 

Yesterday's walk was special. The change in the canopy since we last walked there earlier this month is truly amazing. The leaves are now nearly fully mature. They still sport the bright green of new leaves and have not yet darkened, but they provide the most wonderful shade. With Finnegan leading the way, we enjoyed the walk under the trees where the squirrels also played.

Admittedly, without driving we do not enjoy such a beautiful scene on our walks in Florida. There are places with a similar type of feel that I sometimes visit on my bike rides although my favorite park, Limestone Creek Natural Area in Jupiter, has been closed the past few times I have attempted to access the path. It is scheduled to remain closed until late-September. 

We will continue to enjoy our walks under the deepening canopy during our visit. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Enjoying the ICW

Chris and Mary on the Beach
Along the ICW, Tequesta, FL
April 21, 2026

Earth Day 

Although it was Tiki Tuesday, we decided to head to the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) for Happy Hour. The wind seemed too strong to visit an ocean beach and the more protected areas along the ICW seemed the perfect place to enjoy Happy Hour. 

Bird Along the Beach
ICW, Tequesta, FL
April 21, 2026

On weekends, the beaches along the ICW are crammed full of people and watercraft. Last evening, however, we had the area almost to ourselves. The ICW is convenient because parking is right beside the beach area.

The ICW was calm and there were fish jumping everywhere it seemed. We were visited by a wading bird that walked right in front of us seemingly unconcerned that we were within about 10 feet of where it was hunting. 

It was a relaxing and enjoyable time. I even went into the water, it was almost warm and not unpleasant at all. 

Earth Day Fact: 

One million plastic bottles are purchased every minute worldwide, while up to five trillion plastic bags are used a year  (Earth Day Fact Sheets)

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

COA/HOA Exposition in Palm Beach

Condo & HOA Expo
West Palm Beach, FL
April 21, 2026

 I went to an exposition this morning mostly to attend a State-mandated training class for HOA Board members. It was the first Expo/convention I had attended in a few years. I have to admit, it was very different from the ones I attended while working as a federal civilian. 

Condo & HOA Expo
West Palm Beach, FL
April 21, 2026

I missed the high tech stuff I used to deal with and especially the displays of cutting edge technology with which I used to examine for practical applications.

But, this was for HOA/COA related products and services. Nothing really too high tech here. Roofs, windows, pest control, security, taxes, lawyers and the like. There were a lot of people.

I sat through a four-hour very technical and legal presentation which almost changed me from a board member to a bored member. The seminar began at 0800, sharp! I had to be on the road by 7 AM to drive, secure parking and get checked in. 

I learned a lot. The lawyer/instructor was instrumental in getting Florida's condo laws changed/updated after the 2021 Condo collapse the killed 98 people. Understanding the chain of events leading up to that was incredibly instructive. 

Now the hard part--applying all of the ideas and ensuring that our COA is in full compliance. Ugh. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Lazy Saturday

View of the North Fork Loxahatchee River
Tequesta, FL
April 18, 2026

 It was a lazy Saturday here in South Florida. 

It is not as if we did nothing during the day, but we did not head out on an adventure.

I managed an 18-mile ride, which felt great even though the humidity and temperatures are building. I did not see a lot of wildlife on my tour, but I did enjoy the scents of the gardenias and other flowering plants, trees, and bushes.

Chris and I also managed to move the repacked Easter decorations along with other unused items to the storage room. Out of sight and out of mind! We freed up some space in the garage to use for other infrequently used items.

Aside from that, we made an emergency run to the grocery store for some ice cream.

Thinking about some of what transpired last week.

It was a crazy week in the news as both the president and vice attempted to cast themselves as theologians and religious leaders. I was appalled at the image of Trump as a messiah and then Vance schooling the Pope on Catholicism and theology. And then there was Speaker Johnson lecturing the Pope about the "Just War" theory. I did, however, learn a lot about the "Just War" theory and its application. 

It seems as if the Jesus' words of prophecy as recorded in Mark 13:14-23 are being fulfilled:

14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be” (let the reader understand), “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. 15 The one on the roof must not come down or go inside to take anything out of his house. 16 The one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 17 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! 18 Pray that it may not be in winter. 19 For in those days there will be suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, or ever will happen. 20 And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved. But because of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut them short. 21 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe him. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the elect. 23 Be careful! I have told you everything ahead of time. (Mark 13:14-23 NET Bible) (Highlighting mine)

I was also reminded of Matthew 7: 15-20.

15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? 17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit. (NET Bible) (Highlighting mine)

Happy Sunday!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL